Of the elite diamonds in the world, one diamond clearly stands above the rest. It is well known that the quality of the cut is the single most important aspect of diamond light performance and beauty, and A CUT ABOVE® super ideal diamonds are cut to the most exacting standards on Earth. Most importantly, unlike other diamond brands which may claim to be comparable, A CUT ABOVE® diamonds come with fully supportive documentation and indisputable proof.

A CUT ABOVE® super ideal diamonds are available exclusively through Whiteflash. They are considered by experts and diamond enthusiasts around the globe to be among the finest diamonds ever brought to the market.

Due to the level of difficulty in producing gems of this precision, Whiteflash is completely transparent about every aspect of these extraordinary gems. The benefit of purchasing a diamond that must pass each and every one of an extensive and comprehensive list of the most exacting requirements is that A CUT ABOVE® diamonds can be counted on for ultimate consistency in delivering optimal brilliance, fire and sparkle under the full range of lighting environments.

Unlike other brands, there is no secrecy surrounding the requirements for A CUT ABOVE®. We have always been firm believers in consumer education and providing detailed information on all our products, and this has distinguished Whiteflash from a host of companies that rely on marketing spin and unsupported claims. Here you will learn the specific guidelines and qualifications that we use for vetting our A CUT ABOVE® brand. The fact is that diamonds of this quality are so difficult to produce that even knowing the formula does not make it any more likely that competitors will be able to duplicate what we do.

Whiteflash stocks the largest in-house inventory of true super ideal diamonds of any retailer in the world. And we don’t just make claims about how special they are - we prove it, one diamond at a time. The ultimate beneficiary is the consumer who understands that an A CUT ABOVE® diamond is the most exhaustively evaluated and dependably consistent, high performance diamond on the planet. As an added and very popular benefit, each one comes with our own industry-best 100% Lifetime Trade Up Guarantee.

The first requirement for A CUT ABOVE® is certification by a top tier laboratory with the highest cut grade. Secondly, it must have Ideal Light Performance per AGS ray tracing testing. The AGS light performance grading system involves a scientifically rigorous analysis that examines every facet of the diamond and assesses light return, light leakage, fire, and contrast which drives the all-important aspect of scintillation (sparkle!).

Both the A CUT ABOVE® Round Hearts and Arrows Diamond and the A CUT ABOVE® Princess share the distinction of being true Super Ideal Diamonds and must meet extreme standards for craftsmanship and light performance. However, both are distinctive and must be evaluated in unique ways. For detailed information please see our article on princess cut grading at AGSL.

The round brilliant cut has a facet arrangement that, when executed with a very high degree of precision, produces a pattern of eight arrows face up (table view) and eight hearts face down (pavilion view). The presence of these patterns indicates that the diamond’s facets are aligned precisely in three dimensions and that the diamond has outstanding “optical symmetry”. Crafting to this level of precision can be likened to “tuning” of the facets – the complex sculpture of tiny mirrors that make up the diamond’s “engine” of light performance. A perfectly tuned diamond with a top quality engine will perform at optimal levels and deliver full horsepower. In order for a round diamond to qualify for A CUT ABOVE® it must be tuned to within the extremely tight tolerances as published in our hearts and arrows grading standard.

The crafting of A CUT ABOVE® diamonds is aimed at the very heart of AGS Ideal parameters representing a very narrow subset of the overall GIA Excellent cut grade category. While a small minority of GIA Triple Ex diamonds are cut to the center, most cutters target the outer area of GIA EX parameters, consciously sacrificing light performance for heavier carat yield. In contrast, the proportion guidelines Whiteflash cutters target are in the “sweet spot” of specifications for AGS Ideal (see table below). For a diamond to make A CUT ABOVE® it will normally fall within all of these measurement ranges. In rare cases, it is possible for an A CUT ABOVE® to exceed one or more of these specifications, but only if the light performance analytics are superb.

There are two significant practical benefits of crafting to the center of AGS Ideal parameters; First, it insures the diamond will be a top performer in all possible lighting conditions, The Most Visually Balanced Diamond in the World®. As we like to say, the benefit of owning an A CUT ABOVE® diamond is experienced every moment of every day with every glance of every eye! And secondly, if diamond grading systems ever change in the future with the advent of new technologies, A CUT ABOVE® diamonds will always remain at the very top of any scale.

Whiteflash provides an image package of actual diagnostic photos that enable a complete understanding of how each A CUT ABOVE® is actually handling light. We provide two magnified photos of the diamond, one in face up mode that can reveal certain aspects of clarity and patterning, and another from an angle that reveals to some extent its dynamic potential to deliver fire and brilliance.

In addition, we provide actual ASET and IdealScope images that reveal critical aspects of light return and light leakage. Any significant amount of light leakage detected by these tests will be grounds for disqualification. The resulting consistency also explains why these images tend to look very similar throughout the A CUT ABOVE® category.

And of course, the hearts image is posted as visual confirmation of the precision of the cut in terms of three dimensional facet alignment, and verification that the diamond is perfectly “tuned”. Patterning for A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Diamonds must conform to our published criteria on hearts and arrows grading - the strictest standard in the world.

It could be argued that any internal inclusions block some light rays as they pass through the diamond and would therefore diminish light performance. In theory this is true but in practice many inclusions are so minute as to have negligible effect on performance. This is especially true in the upper gemological grades. In the Slightly Included grades, diminished light performance can be an issue, even if cutting is perfect. Therefore, one of the critical assessments the Whiteflash gemological review team makes is to look for any deleterious effects that might be present as a result of clarity features. Depending on several factors such as inclusion type, location, size and density, some diamonds will appear slightly “sleepy” or not as “crisp” as they otherwise would be. This can be a very subtle effect and one that is not contained on any grading report. Diamonds with any such deficits are not allowed into the A CUT ABOVE® brand.

For perhaps even more obvious reasons, A CUT ABOVE® diamonds are carefully inspected for any clarity issues that would give rise to structural weakness. A diamond with a feather or other clarity feature that in our assessment poses an elevated durability risk for mounting or wear will not be allowed in the brand.

Defects that can be controlled by the cutting process are disallowed. For instance, diamonds with chips or scratches mentioned on the lab report will disqualify a diamond from A CUT ABOVE®. Some surface features such as ‘naturals’ are allowed as they are “elective” in nature. That is, the cutter allows a small piece of the skin of the diamond to be present in natural condition (not polished) when it is confined to the girdle of the diamond. Extra facets are not allowed in A CUT ABOVE® rounds as they often represent a “shortcut” that a cutter has taken to repair a chip or remove an inclusion.

A large percentage of mined diamonds exhibit a property called fluorescence. When exposed to ultraviolet light, they will glow. Usually the color is blue. Because strong fluorescence can at times be off-putting to some people, reduce market value, and in some cases actually diminish light performance, A CUT ABOVE® diamonds must have negligible fluorescence - none-faint on a GIA report.

The faceting arrangement of a princess cut, although featuring a brilliant style pavilion, is quite distinctive from that of a round. Therefore a somewhat different set of conditions and qualifications are in place for vetting our super ideal princess. As stated earlier, both round hearts and arrows and princess A CUT ABOVE® diamonds require as a baseline requirement a top tier laboratory report with the highest cut grade, as well as AGS Ideal light performance. This is the only scientifically peer reviewed light performance assessment for princess cuts, and because of the added complexity of this facet arrangement most cutters do not have the level of expertise necessary to cut to AGS Ideal standards. This partially accounts for why there are very few ideal princess cut diamonds on the market.

As with rounds, A CUT ABOVE® Princess must have superb light performance as demonstrated by ASET and IdealScope imagery. Any significant light leakage detected will disqualify a diamond. Most princess cut diamonds on the market exhibit very poor light performance as cutters aim for size over fire and brilliance. Even AGS Ideal princess often have some slight leakage in the bottom of the pavilion that will disqualify them from A CUT ABOVE®. Diamonds such as these are beautiful as well and you will find them in our Expert Selection category.

Because princess facet arrangements include several different variations, there is no set number of facets or facet patterns that are specifically required. While there is no equivalent of the “hearts and arrows standard” to apply, patterns must be balanced with the right amount of positive contrast to create outstanding scintillation.

Princess facet arrangements including 2, 3, and 4 chevrons, as well as different treatments of corner and crown facets, can all qualify for A CUT ABOVE® if all light performance and cut quality conditions are met. Because there is no set number of facets in a princess cut, extra facets are not necessarily prohibited in A CUT ABOVE® Princess.

Just like rounds, there are certain clarity features that may impact light performance. This is primarily an issue in the Slightly Included range and it is something that the Whiteflash gemological review team looks at very carefully. Depending on the inclusion type, location, size, and density, inclusions can impact the quantity and quality of light output even if cutting is perfect. A diamond with any such deficit will not be allowed in the A CUT ABOVE® brand.

Clarity features when located in the corners of a princess cut can also give rise to durability concerns. While princess cuts with their pointed corners are more prone to damage than rounds, they are particularly susceptible if the structural integrity of the corner is compromised in any significant way by an inclusion. Any princess diamond that in our assessment presents an elevated durability risk will not be allowed in the A CUT ABOVE® brand.

As mentioned above in regards to rounds, and for the same reasons, A CUT ABOVE Princess diamonds are required to have negligible fluorescence, i.e none to faint only.

A CUT ABOVE® diamonds, available exclusively at Whiteflash, are the most carefully crafted and exhaustively evaluated diamonds in the world. Each must pass three separate and independent stages of multi-level quality control including manufacturer evaluation, laboratory grading, and internal Whiteflash review. The process begins with the careful selection of rough diamond crystals and cutting by the most experienced and skilled craftsmen using the latest equipment and technologies. The finished diamonds then proceed to the laboratory for comprehensive evaluations and grading by the world’s leading authorities. And finally, the diamonds must pass the additional light performance testing and physical examinations performed by the Whiteflash review team operating under ISO 9000 certification standards.

The result is the most consistently dependable, super ideal diamond in the world featuring Proven Light Performance and Uncompromising Beauty.